It's fair to say that this year's Miss Universe competition has been pretty damn memorable - for some good reasons, and a more than a few bad ones. First of all, 2018 saw the first ever trans woman compete in the pageant: Spanish contestant Angela Ponce, who wanted to use the contest as a platform to draw attention to LGBT+ issues. Unfortunately, Ponce wasn't able to make it to the top 20, but she did get special attention when she featured in a special segment of her own.
Then there was more scandal, after Sarah Rose Summers, aka: Miss USA, went viral after sharing an Instagram video in which she appeared to mock Miss Cambodia and Miss Vietnam for not speaking English, (despite the fact that she seems to show no proficiency in speaking their languages herself. ) something which many have derided as racist and xenophobic. However, as if that wasn't exciting enough, it now appears that a very famous plus-sized model has ended up accidentally injuring herself after taking a tumble at the pageant.
Ashley Graham shared a picture of her scraped leg on Instagram, after she tripped over on Sunday night. Graham allegedly went backstage to change into one of her many outfits, but then fell down a flight of stairs and ended up with a large gash on her leg for her trouble. In the video, an embarrassed and sore Graham can be heard stating: "Ok so I'm doing some quick-ass changes, you guys, and then, of course, I fell down the stairs."
She added: "I'm OK, but I just wanted to let you know what I'm doing ... It actually looks worse than it feels, except for it throbbing a bit." Hey, I suppose the silver lining here is that at least she didn't fall down when the cameras were still on her, right?
Ashley Graham has been an important voice advocating for a more inclusive, liberal-minded fashion industry in recent years, and has often been outspoken about how modelling needs to change and become less misogynistic. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Graham claimed that she has witnessed a change in the way models are treated. She stated: "People are actually thinking about their actions and thinking about their words … If this #MeToo movement had not happened, who’s to say what would happen to the next generation of girls? I really hope that it protects the next generation of young models."
She added: "It has given such an incredible voice to women who have felt voiceless, especially as models, because we are the ones who immediately will not get booked for a job. Models are the ones whose careers can die immediately if you speak up about this kind of stuff. So now your career doesn’t die, you have a voice and you can use it. And I hope more girls feel empowered by it."
Let's hope that Ashley isn't too hurt, and that she's up and about in no time.
